SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE--(Marketwired - Feb. 16, 2016) - In response to a growing Asia-Pacific operator base comprising more than 7,000 Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) engines in service in the region, P&WC has doubled the staff at its Singapore-based Pratt & Whitney Canada (SEA) Pte Ltd ("Asia Hub") - including its 24/7 Customer First Center (CFirst) support staff - to more than 30 people since its opening in 2012. P&WC is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).

In 10 years, the total number of P&WC engines in service in Asia Pacific has more than doubled for the regional, general, business aviation and helicopter segments. For the same period, the number of PW100 turboprop engines in the region has nearly tripled to 1,600. Asia Pacific accounts for 15 per cent of P&WC's global in-service engine fleet.

"We've significantly invested in supporting customers in the Asia-Pacific region and in establishing a strong local presence to support all of our engine families," said Timothy Swail, Vice President, Customer Programs. "That's the difference between having an aircraft back flying within hours versus days."

P&WC has the largest global service network of P&WC-owned and designated overhaul facilities (DOFs) in the industry, of which its Singapore CFirst centre is a fully integrated part of the company's dedicated Asia Hub. In addition to P&WC's maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, P&WC's frontline support team - which includes technical specialists, commercial and logistics specialists and aircraft-on-ground (AOG) specialists - enables P&WC service centers to rapidly respond to customers in their own time zone in six languages.

P&WC's service companies and DOFs presence is expanding across all segments within Asia Pacific including significant growth in the regional turboprop market. Countries like Indonesia, India and Japan - which are geographically dispersed and/or have multiple island-based communities where regional aircraft are often the only option - are seeing the strongest increase in P&WC engines and operators. The ability to deliver end-to-end service and support to customers, leveraging the Asia Hub in Singapore and regionally distributed field service representatives, is a key part of P&WC's long-term development plan.

"Having a full support team of on-the-ground service experts within the Asia Pacific region, ready to serve customers where and when they need us, is a key part of our global customer service strategy and a top priority," said Swail. "From a frontline support perspective, we are the pioneers in Asia-Pacific. We have an integrated support team locally serving customers in their own languages, in the same time zones, responding to their end-to-end needs - from parts, to rentals, to MRO."

In addition to the Singapore Asia Hub, Pratt & Whitney Canada (Australasia) Pty Ltd, the P&WC facility in Brisbane, Australia, provides local frontline support as well as line and heavy maintenance on PT6A, PW100 and PT6C engines. This support is further complemented by P&WC's DOFs including Vector Aerospace's PT6A facility in Brisbane, Australia as well as Vector's PW150 facility in Singapore, which will soon celebrate one year of service. In addition, P&WC's DOF, H+S, in Abu Dhabi is now fully operational supporting the PW200 and PT6C-67 engines with the PW210 coming on within the year.

Visit us at the Singapore Airshow, UTC exhibit L39. Interested operators are invited to drop by the booth to speak with a customer service representative.

About Pratt & Whitney Canada

Founded in 1928, and a global leader in aerospace, P&WC is shaping the future of aviation with dependable, high-technology engines. Based in Longueuil, Quebec (Canada), P&WC is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. United Technologies Corp., based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems and services to the building and aerospace industries.